Slipshod
Image:SlipheaderTEST.png ‎| center rect 5 408 145 441 history rect 155 408 294 441 personality rect 304 408 445 441 powers rect 454 408 594 441 equipment rect 5 452 145 484 cast rect 156 452 295 484 gallery rect 305 452 443 484 fiction rect 455 452 594 484 creator desc none }}' |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center; color:#FFFFFF; background:#347235;" | '''Personal Data' |- ! Real Name: | realname|Sebastian "Bastian" Stevens |- ! Known Aliases: | aliases|The Rabid Weasel, Gossamer |- ! Nicknames: | nicknames|Slip, Slippy, Kid Coma |- ! Species: | species|Human |- ! Age: | age|17 (July 17) |- ! Height: | height|6'1" (185 cm) |- ! Weight: | weight|185 lbs (85 kg) |- ! Eye Color: | eyes|Brown |- ! Hair Color: | hair|Ruddy Brown |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center; color:#FFFFFF; background:#347235;" | Biographical Data |- ! Origin: | origin|Meta |- ! Identity: | identity|Secret |- ! Nationality: | nationality|Caucasian-American |- ! Occupation: | occupation|None (Student) |- ! Place of Birth: | birthplace|Sonno, Missouri |- ! Base of Operations: | hometown|Whitmoore Apartments |- ! Marital Status: | marital|Single |- ! Known Relatives: | relatives|Jason Stevens (father, deceased) Jessica Stevens (mother, deceased) Nicholas Crenshaw (brother, age 8) |} .......After discovering their child was born with a rare neurological disorder called Wundt’s Syndrome, Sebastian Stevens’ parents made the impossible decision to place their son in a medically-induced coma at the age of seven, a last act of desperation to stave off the potentially fatal effects of his disease. They prayed he could survive long enough in this state for a cure to be found. .......Eight years later, the boy miraculously recovers, brought back by a mysterious superhuman healing factor that surfaced as he hit puberty. But combating the Wundt’s Syndrome proved to be too difficult for the fledgling power, and Sebastian’s ability could only keep the disease at bay as opposed to ridding him of it entirely. .......Having awoken in an unfamiliar city, the Stevens’ child searched desperately for the whereabouts of his parents, though his doctors remained tight-lipped on the subject. But the boy was relentless, and at last they broke the news to him that his parents had died in an earthquake three years prior to his revival. Devastated, he became sullen and uncooperative with his doctors, giving them no other option but to release him to the adoption system. .......Now a ward of the state, Sebastian was placed in an orphanage, withdrawing even further into himself. Though his power kept the Wundt’s Syndrome at bay, the side-effects of the disease remained, and the child found that he was infinitely more perceptive of his surroundings than any other. This distinction only served to cement the idea that he was alone in this world. Feeling abandoned and restless, the teen wished for nothing more than the day he could leave this prison and set out on his own. His prayers were answered when two super-powered beings brought their fight to his room at the orphanage, wrecking the building and providing a means for his escape. Having been caught in the crossfire, Sebastian stumbled away from the scene to a nearby alleyway, where he succumbed to his injuries and lost consciousness. .......When the sun rose on him the next day, he found that his body had not only healed itself entirely, but had been pushed to the peak of physical fitness. His healing factor, forced to attend to the more severe wounds on his body for fear of death, left his neurological disorder unattended, and it began to ravage his mind once again. Knowing it could not keep up this balancing act for long, Sebastian’s metagene manifested a new ability, one that would increase his strength, reflexes and durability every time his body was forced to heal itself. In this way, it could make him more resistant to future injuries, allowing his healing factor to keep its focus where it was truly needed: the Wundt’s Syndrome. .......Sebastian, flush with great fortitude and agility, used his newfound power to eek out a living for himself on the streets. Under the guise of The Rabid Weasel, he took to a life of petty crime, thieving to keep himself alive. However, during a routine robbery at a convenience store, an odd turn of events led to him being framed for the murder of the clerk. Suddenly deemed a major threat to society, the boy found himself being hunted by a local supergroup, Tempered Steel. Upon his capture, he pleaded with them, insisting on his innocence in the man’s death. Though initially skeptical of his claims, Sebastian made use of his enhanced sense of surroundings to put them on the trail of the real culprit, and watched in satisfaction as they brought the true criminal to justice. .......Having seen the youth’s desire to atone for his misdeeds, one member of Tempered Steel, Silk Dove, took him under her wing to steer him away from the dark path he was on. She taught him to hone what few gifts he had, and trained him as best she could in the ways of combat. As her new sidekick, Gossamer (a name he abhorred), he got a taste for crime-fighting. Still dealing with the issues brought on by his parents’ deaths, the boy grew to be too careless, often chastised by Dove for "running slipshod around the city." In his zeal, he quickly became too much for her to handle, and after one too many failures, Sebastian left the ranks of Tempered Steel's reserve team. Lost in life, Sebastian wandered listlessly, eventually finding himself back in the city he’d grown up in. .......Looking to find some meaning to his existence, he wandered the town, hoping to find the answers to the questions he sought. What he discovered would change the course of his life, giving way to a destiny he never could have dreamed of. It was here that he learned his parents had another son a year before they died, and that this child, Nicholas, had survived the quake that killed their mother and father and had been adopted by a new family. Sebastian spent every waking moment tracking his brother down, but when he finally located him, he couldn’t bring himself to enter the child’s life. .......Sebastian felt ashamed at the sins he had committed, overcome with the guilt of knowing he had dishonored the memory of his parents. He knew that, in his current state, he was a poor representation of the values his family upheld. Hoping to prove himself a man worthy of his brother’s love, the teen vowed to become a true symbol for what he believed his family stood for. And so on that day, Sebastian Stevens ceased to exist. Reborn as the daring Slipshod, he roams the rooftops, seeking out those suffering and in pain, striving to be a force for good in a world where evil was commonplace. The city was full of heroes, and it hardly needed one more. But that didn't matter, he needed it. In its streets, he would find his redemption, and hopefully the courage to make contact with his brother and regain the family he had lost. .......He wouldn't save the city. The city would save him. Return to Top : PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION Although Sebastian is 18 years old, his emotional age is questionable. Due to having spent a majority of his life in a coma, he was never given the opportunity to develop as most children would. In essence, he went to sleep a boy, and woke up a teenager, with no transitionary period in between to prepare him for all the thoughts, emotions and hormones that came with puberty. As if that wouldn't be confusing enough by itself, his parents had died, leaving him with no positive role models to emulate. The months following his reawakening were a struggle because of this, leading Sebastian to question his place in society. A rash of bad decisions created a deep-seated guilt within him that still colors the way he sees his own self worth. The selfish choices he made were at total odds with the core values his parents had raised him by, and failing their teachings so utterly has been a source for great shame for him. To him, dishonoring what his parents stood for has been his greatest sin. Sebastian's inadvertant role in the death of an innocent shook him from his insular world, resetting his moral compass and allowing him to rejoin society as an upstanding citizen. Perhaps as an overreaction to his short-lived career as a criminal, Sebastian has taken to a very black and white view of the world. For him, there is no excuse for consciously making a bad decision. He believes that there is always a better choice, and that a person must simply be strong enough to make it. : ...AS SEBASTIAN In his civilian identity, Sebastian is kind-hearted, fun-loving and conscientious. Rare is the time you won't find him smiling or sharing a laugh with others, or trying to spark the same reaction in someone else. He possessed a strong desire to see others happy, and generally tries to reflect that in his everday demeanor. When those around him are falling apart, he tends to take on the role of caregiver, offering a kind word and shoulder to lean on. He is drawn to new experiences and craves knowledge of any sort, often inserting himself into unfamiliar situations in an attempt to glean some new bit of wisdom from the encounter. This behavior can sometimes lead to trouble, however. Thanks to his eight-year slumber, Sebastian never fully learned the social norms that most people have instilled in them at an early age. Things like respecting personal space, not openly discussing private matters and staying away from taboo subjects do not come naturally to him, often leading to awkward moments. Still, this should not be seen as a lack of respect for the people around him, but a character flaw he is constantly trying to correct. : ...AS SLIPSHOD While in the guise of Slipshod, the better parts of Sebastian’s personality are only magnified. His loyalty, perseverance and eagerness to seek out the good in others become a strong desire to uphold justice in all its forms. Because of his naïve worldview, Sebastian believes that there is no situation where the ends justify the means, and that bending the rules to get one’s way is a slippery slope that would make him no better than the criminals he hunts. This has often put him at odds with other heroes who feel it is okay to rid the streets of crime at any cost. As for Sebastian’s sense of wonder in life, these qualities manifest themselves as Slipshod’s daredevil spirit, making him a true sight to behold in the field. He constantly tests the limits of what he and others think possible, almost as if it were his personal mission to prove that anything can be done, so long as you have the courage to do it. This is at once one of his greatest and most dangerous attributes, as his adventurous nature can often lead to him looking before he leaps. Basically, Slipshod makes it up as he goes along. : ...IN FRIENDSHIP When it comes to a friend and ally, you’ll find none better than Sebastian. He has a truly giving nature, always concerned with putting the needs of others before his own. And because of his firm believe in the inherent goodness in others, he has a strong want to like people. This earnestness and attention has a tendency to flatter others and causes them to drop their guard, bringing out the best in them when Sebastian’s around. He is keenly aware of the feelings of those he interacts with, with a natural talent for reading other people. Many times he will change his own mannerisms in order to be more pleasing to whoever he’s with at the moment, and while some have confused this for a lack of individual personality, it is just his way of putting people at ease in his presence. Sebastian makes friends easily, and is hard-pressed to believe anything negative about them, despite any evidence that might be produced to the contrary. This steadfast loyalty to those he holds dear serves as a glaring blind spot, making him very vulnerable to people who might take advantage of his good nature. As both Sebastian and Slipshod, he would gladly put his life on the line for a friend, and wouldn’t think twice about sacrificing his own needs for the betterment of another. : ...IN LOVE Love is a tricky subject for Sebastian. Thanks to his stunted emotional development, he is a walking contradiction when it comes to the opposite sex. Though his body is painfully aware of his biological needs, Sebastian still views women as a young boy might, treating them like friends at best, and enigmas at worst. For a relationship to be possible, the other party would need to be very understanding of this mindset, and be willing to take things very slowly with him. Because he doesn’t understand romantic love, it would be easy for him to confuse it with a close friendship, leading to inevitable heartache for both parties if the distinction were not made early on. Once in a stable relationship, however, Sebastian would be an ideal mate. His best qualities would shine through, making him a supportive partner that would be keenly aware of the other party’s wants and needs. His first relationship would either be life-long, or go on much longer than it should, as Sebastian would be hard-pressed to give up on a failing romantic involvement. In the event of trouble, he would be fiercely protective of the relationship, going so far as to ignore any problems for the sake of keeping his partner happy. A failed coupling would cause serious self-doubt, resulting in Sebastian taking full blame for the failure and making him wary of future entanglements. Return to Top Return to Top Worn in lieu of a mask, Slipshod has always had some form of night vision eyewear. Not only do they help him on patrol, but their bulky nature tends to limit his peripheral vision, allowing him to focus more easily without the side-effects of his WUNDT’S SYNDROME acting up. His current goggles were specially made for him by his partner, Dropshock, and were designed specifically to exploit and intensify his unique HEIGHTENED SENSE OF SURROUNDINGS. The pinhole cameras can be switched on and off in various patterns, limiting his vision to as little as 45°, or increasing it to as much as 220°. If he desires, Slipshod can turn the cameras off entirely, returning his vision to just the two main lenses in order to get an unfiltered view of his surroundings. During the day, all cameras and lenses can be switched to a mode that provides true-color, high-resolution images. Although Slipshod prefers to fight barehanded, he has often carried a baton with him on patrols. This habit dates back to his early days with Tempered Steel, where his mentor, Silk Dove, insisted he be trained in several forms of non-lethal combat. Her initial teachings of armed combat began with a simple baton, covering the most basic tenants of blocking, deflecting and striking. Unfortunately, due to his short time with the team, he never completed his training. However, he continued to carry the baton with him, thinking that wielding it made him look cooler. Upon meeting and befriending Dropshock, he was gifted a new baton with some added tricks. Crafted using a newly invented alloy, the weapon is nigh-indestructible and comes tailored to Slipshod's specifications, having been perfectly balanced for him. In addition to its normal function as a standard baton, a pressure switch can be activated, causing the instrument to extend into a full-length bo staff. Not wanting such an awesome piece of equipment to go to waste, Slipshod has resumed his training with both weapon types. He has taken to affectionately referring to this weapon as his "Sliprod," eliciting many a giggle and awkward look from anyone he mentions this to. Slipshod has yet to figure out why people react this way, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Return to Top | | | |} | | | |} |} Return to Top In this section, you'll find a selection of images relating to Slipshod and his adventures. For all works not shown here, or to submit your own fan art, please visit my DeviantArt gallery located here. File:Slipshod_Design_Sheet.jpg| Slipshod Design Sheet by Jianran Pan File:Slipshod_Vinci_Crossover.jpg| Slipshod/Dr. Vinci Crossover by moebius777 File:Slipshod_by_ApemanEnforcer.jpg| Slipshod Fanart by Apeman Enforcer Return to Top Book One - The Long Goodnight (Slipshod's Origin) *coming soon* Return to Top THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK Matthew Miller, 27, is an aspiring writer living in Louisville Kentucky with his partner, Jeff, and their dog, Magnolia. After a year of studying civil engineering at the University of Southern Indiana, he realized he truly had no desire to continue on his current career path, and left school to take on the world. Unfortunately, it turns out you need money to do that, so he was forced to get a dead-end job as an electronic art technician at a local printing company to make ends meet. Despite that niggling little detail, Matthew feels incredibly blessed for all he's been given. Having grown up playing with his younger brother, nieces and nephew in a town where there was little to do for fun, Matthew was often called on to come up with some elaborate new game for them all to pass the time with. This was where his creative streak was born, though his knack for storytelling didn’t really begin to thrive until his birthday in 1997, when he was first introduced to the internet. Quickly becoming engrossed in the roleplaying community on AOL, he got involved with a close knit group of friends that would inspire and shape his creative works to this day. Slipshod was created in 2004, when Matthew and a friend began discussing superheroes and the similarities they shared with the characters they had created in the past. Wanting to try his hand at creating his own iconic hero, Matthew pulled from all facets of his life for inspiration, developing what he believes to be his most well-crafted character to date. Sebastian Stevens, the boy who would be Slipshod, was influenced heavily by the biggest issues that Matthew was currently facing at the time of the character’s development. Through Slipshod, he hoped to explore the nature of those issues, and perhaps learn more about himself in the process. Whether or not he actually did that is anyone's guess, but it sure sounds poetic, doesn't it? PUTTING AWAY CHILDISH THINGS One of the major themes in Slipshod’s journey is that of growing up, and what we must give up and also gain from doing so. At some point in everyone’s life, they can no longer hide in the safety of their childhood, and are thrust into the real world, forced to face its harsh realities. We leave the nest, say goodbye to our parents, and hope that they’ve given us all the tools we need to survive on our own. Quite often, the dreams we have as children are put on hold or thrown away entirely in favor of “doing the responsible thing.” As we grow older, we have it instilled in us that being an adult means sacrificing what we truly desire. We learn that the only person we can ever really count on is ourselves. Slipshod’s tale simply elevates this to a grander scale, having him literally being forced into manhood overnight. The idea is simple: if you were never told what was expected of you as an adult; never had society tell you what you can and can’t do, then what would you be capable of? Would you be more likely to follow those dreams of your childhood? More apt to believe in the goodness in other people? And if so, and you succeeded, then what’s stopping the rest of humanity from doing the same? Are these “harsh realities of the world” truths, or just things we tell ourselves because we’re too scared to take chances? This theme plays out in several aspects of the character, even being mirrored in Slipshod’s unique heightened sense of surroundings. This power was just another way for Matthew to drive that subtext home, by having the character literally see the world in a way that no one else does. In essence, it’s saying he holds an uncommon outlook on life that few others share, and that through his example, those around him may begin to realize that they’re capable of doing the impossible, as well. FAMILY TIES Another main trait of the character is his relationship with his younger brother, Nicholas, and how his desire to be a positive role model for him inspires Sebastian to become a better person. Having had a very close relationship with his own little brother growing up, Matthew wondered how his own actions and decisions might affect the man his brother would become. That fear and inner turmoil was the basis for the creation of Nicholas and how his existence changed Sebastian’s life. Furthermore, the idea of “the family you choose” played a large role in the cast of characters surrounding Slipshod. Matthew came from a family that, despite not being your typical nuclear group, loved and care for one another unconditionally. This led to defining many of the roles that the supporting cast played in Sebastian’s life, such as Stanley Green acting as a surrogate father. Slipshod and any works related to him are forever dedicated to Matthew's younger brother, Jonathon. Return to Top - ©2004 Matthew Miller, All rights reserved. The character "Sliphod", his supporting cast, and the inclusive works of fiction are the sole property of Matthew Miller.